• Demonstrate your learning and knowledge of biology in an area of interest to you

• Hone your written and oral communication skills

• Manage a large-scale research project

• Learn to critique peer work

• Prepare job or graduate/professional school materials

• Build your resume

• Always bring your laptop

• Live lectures Mondays and Wednesdays
  • My goal is for the class to be as interactive as possible
  • Each week a checklist containing the schedule will be posted on Brightspace
  • Slides for each lecture will be posted on Sakai

• Always bring your laptop

• Live lectures Mondays and Wednesdays
  • My goal is for the class to be as interactive as possible
  • Checklist with weekly schedule will be posted on Brightspace
  • Slides for each lecture will be posted on Sakai

• Weekly live workshops during laboratory period
  • Focus on a specific topic in more detail
  • Attendance with is required
  • Workshops will vary in length but will typically involve a discussion, working with a partner, and/or activity assignment
  • Assignments due on Brightspace at 5pm on the Friday after the workshop**

• Always bring your laptop

• Fridays are in-person Writing sessions
  • Writing is time intensive and requires discussion
  • I will be available as an in-person resource
  • Significant progress towards project completion will be made

• A progress journal will be submitted at the end of each session (for points)

• You will choose a biological topic of interest to you and prepare a semester-long research project consisting of:
  • A research paper
  • A scientific poster and presentation

• This is not a book report: An important aspect of the project is its novelty—your goal is to synthesize information around a topic and draw conclusions about a hypothesis or question
  • you must address a scientific question

• Your capstone project will be prepared as:
  • a data-driven scientific paper using original research, OR
  • a literature ‘meta-analysis’ (i.e., use some form of statistical analysis)

• Various aspects of both parts will be evaluated and critiqued by me, other biology faculty members, and your classmates

• You will submit the paper in steps over the semester:
  • Topic declaration
  • Rough outline with references
  • Expanded outline
  • Rough draft
  • Final paper

• These will be reviewed by me and feedback given

• The rough draft of the paper will be critiqued by another biology faculty member and a classmate

• The final draft of your capstone paper will be graded by me
  • rubric on Brightspace**

• The poster is a different format for presenting your capstone project—a condensed, easily understood version of your paper that you will present to the group

• Also submitted in steps:
  • Rough draft (peer-reviewed in a workshop)
  • Final version
  • Poster presentation to class

• You will present your poster in the final workshop class of the semester

• The final poster and presentation will be graded by me
  • rubric on Brightspace

• This semester we will run the first annual capstone 3-M Thesis

• Internationally recognized competition that challenges students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just 3 minutes
  • presented in language that anyone can understand

• Rules:
  • One static PowerPoint slide (no transitions or animations)
  • no other media allowed
  • no props spoken word only (no poems, raps or songs)
  • strict 3 minute time limit
  • no audience questions

• Will prepare you for your poster presentation

Evaluation of the capstone project and its various parts constitute the majority of your grade

Capstone deadlines on the syllabus (see astricks) must be met to pass the class

We will devote at least one entire class to plagiarism—what it is and how to avoid it